The XFL New York Guardians had a lot of ups and down in their five games played in the 2020 season. They had a mix of good and bad players during the season, which impacted the outcome of the games they played. Here are the top 5 Guardians’ players this season that made a positive impact:
5. RB Darius Victor
Victor, at first, struggled to get the Guardians running game going, as he rushed merely under 50 yards the first two games. In the next three games, he boosted the backfield as the lead running back and helped the running game achieve over 100 yards per game. Victor finished the season fifth in the league in rushing yards with 238. Although he never scored a touchdown, his boost at the end of the season will be something the Guardians and their fans will look forward to next season.
4. K Matt McCrane
This man was not recognized well enough for what he did on the field for the Guardians. When the offense (most of the time under Matt McGloin) struggled to get to the end zone, McKrane saved their bottoms and put three points through the goal post. His field goal made the difference in the game vs. the LA Wildcats. He was 8 for 8 with field goals on the season, which was 5th in the league. If this were the NFL, he would have likely made a Pro Bowl.
3. WR Colby Pearson
Colby Pearson was ultimately the number one target for the Guardians last season. Most people expected Mekale McKay to be the number one target, knowing how successful he was in the AAF with the San Antonio Commanders. However, many would say McKay underachieved and Pearson took the spotlight.
Pearson caught 16 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. One of them was the remarkable 80-yard pass from Luis Perez against the Renegades that likely sealed the game. With more games next season, it will be interesting to see if Pearson could thrive more as the Guardians’ number one target.
2. QB Luis Perez
Before taking over for the Guardians in Week 3 for the injured Matt McGloin, we knew what Luis Perez was capable of outside of the NFL. Perez did well for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF before the league disbanded in April of 2019. The offense seemed to be bland when McGloin was the quarterback and the offense struggled to put points up on the board. With McGloin starting the team went 1-2.
Once Perez started Week 4, Guardians’ fans had playoff hopes again, as Perez would lead the team to two more wins before the close of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Perez in three games (two started) tossed three touchdowns, 418 yards, one interception and finished 6th in completion percentage (62%) in the league. If the league would have gone on, it was best to say that Perez would have been the starter through the remainder of the season.
1. DT Cavon Walker
This player had a major role in Jim Hermann’s defense and is arguably the team’s best player from 2020. The team’s secondary drowned in a lot of games, giving up most of the yards in the passing game. But when the secondary covered well, you often saw Cavon Walker force pressure or get a sack. Walker led the league at the end of five games with 4.5 sacks. Unfortunately, the Guardians won’t see him next season, as he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers a couple of weeks ago.
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